The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia×tuberhybrida, commercially known as hybrid tuberose Begonia, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BEGO 538’.
The new Begonia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hann. Münden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new freely branching hybrid tuberose Begonia cultivars with small leaves and numerous flowers.
The new Begonia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in June, 2001 of a proprietary selection of Begonia×tuberhybrida identified as code number Fu 41/5, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified selection of Begonia sutherlandii, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Begonia was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Hann. Münden, Germany during the summer of 2002.
Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia by cuttings in a controlled environment in Hann. Münden, Germany since the fall of 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.